The European Parliament's economic committee has backed a digital euro designed to reduce Europe's dependence on US-controlled payment networks such as Visa and Mastercard. The ECB-backed currency is targeted for launch by 2029 after a full parliamentary vote and negotiations with EU member states. Euronews reports: Under the proposal, consumers would be able to hold digital euros in a dedicated wallet, subject to a holding limit that has yet to be determined. The system would support both online and offline payments and is intended to offer a high degree of privacy, with the ECB unable to directly identify users from their payment data.

The ECB would provide the underlying infrastructure, while commercial banks and payment service providers would offer digital euro services to customers. Financial institutions are expected to be compensated for their participation in the scheme, while merchants will pay fees that are expected to be lower than those associated with current card transactions.

How that compensation should be structured remains one of the most contentious issues ahead of negotiations with EU member states, according to three sources familiar with the discussions. [...] The European Parliament is expected to formalise the committee's position during a plenary vote in Strasbourg in early July. Negotiations with the EU's 27 member states would then begin, with lawmakers aiming to reach a final agreement before the end of the year.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Modern SSDs have a limited number of write cycles before they expire. Now, OpenAI is scrambling to fix a flawed logging implementation that has been shortening the lives of Codex users' solid state drives (SSDs) with excessive data writes and lowering the devices' value by a significant amount of money. A bug report opened last week for the company's Codex coding agent warns of the consequences in its title: "Codex SQLite feedback logs can write ~640 TB/year and rapidly consume SSD endurance #28224." "On my machine, after about 21 days of uptime, the main SSD has written about 37 TB," wrote developer Rui Fan, a project management committee member of Apache Flink. "Process/file-level checks show Codex SQLite logs are the main continuous writer. "That extrapolates to roughly 640 TB/year. On a 1 TB SSD, that is about 640 full-drive writes per year. Some consumer SSDs are rated around 600 TBW, so this could consume roughly a full drive's warranted write endurance in less than a year." SSDs have a limited lifespan, often measured in terabytes written (TBW). This number varies by model and capacity. Samsung's 2025 9100 PRO SSDs, for example, promise 600 TBW for the 1 TB SSD. And after that point, we expect their performance to degrade and failure becomes more likely. The problem with Codex is that it has been writing so much logging data to SSD storage that users have become concerned they're shortening the life of their hardware. Another developer posting in Rui Fan's thread remarked, "Codex analyzed the disk usage and says this bug cost me $38.64 in drive value of my Samsung 990 2 TB NVMe." This dev subsequently cited the Codex-generated estimate of the overall cost of this bug: "This regression plausibly burned low-single-digit millions of dollars of SSD endurance across users during the March-June Window." Codex's economic impact assessment assumes a cost of $0.13 per TB written to SSDs. This is based on this formula: TB written × (SSD price / SSD TBW). So given a 1 TB SSD, we estimate that Rui Fan incurred a cost of $12.33 for 37 TB of squandered storage. (Cost per TBW = SSD price / SSD endurance = $200 / 600 TBW = $0.333 per TB written.) A more spacious and more costly SSD with a higher TBW rating would cost less per wasted byte (e.g. $0.25 per TB for a $300 / 1200 TBW 2 TB Samsung 9100 PRO SSD). In December 2025, Codex devs announced plans to add telemetry by default (except where disallowed by law) to the Codex CLI. But this issue has to do with local diagnostic logging, which was introduced around the time the app debuted last year and is also on by default. The logs stay on the device unless included by the user in a feedback report. Concerns about excessive write operations using OpenAI's Codex have been surfacing in the project's GitHub repo for several months. A spokesperson for OpenAI confirmed that company engineers are aware of the problem and are working to fix it – something evident from several recent pull requests intended to address the problem. We're told that these logs are intended to help OpenAI engineers diagnose issues and that the problem was the result of high-volume data that was being stored in a way that created far more disk activity than anticipated. While purported fixes have been landing and the company has made some progress, users continue to file problems. The issue appears to date back to work done in February to write app-server SQLite logs at TRACE level, which emits more verbose logs than, say, ERROR level. We note that Codex, presumably running GPT-5.3, reviewed this particular series of commits. That makes it all the more surprising that the code was so ill-conceived. ®

Anthropic is killing off its existing Claude in Slack app in favor of an always-on agentic alternative dubbed Claude Tag that will listen and learn from everything it’s given access to. Claude Tag can now join organizational Slack instances “as a team member,” according to Anthropic’s announcement, where it will have access to whatever channels domain administrators decide upon, as well as the tools, data, and codebases they contain. Anyone in a channel with Claude Tag can tag @Claude to delegate tasks to the bot, which will be able to perform a variety of actions and build context about its environment based on what flows through a channel. “We see Claude Tag as the beginning of an evolution of Claude Code,” Anthropic said. “It makes the model even more proactive, and it works better with a full team.” Anthropic further explained that it’s using Tag to write code (64 percent of what comes from the product team is apparently written by Tag) as well as “chase down product metrics and data, work through support tickets … [and] help find the root cause of tricky bugs.” Integrating Claude into Slack isn’t exactly new – there’s already an existing Slack connector app for Claude, but it’s being depreciated in favor of Tag. According to the Claude in Slack help page, the existing connector will leave service on August 3, and Enterprise and Teams customers are getting access to Tag beginning today, per Anthropic’s announcement. The persistence and contextual learning that Tag brings are its major changes over the prior Claude-Slack connector, according to Anthropic. Tag is shared across a channel, meaning that everyone who interacts with it in a particular space will interact with the same Claude as their coworkers, “more like interacting collaboratively with a teammate” instead of just getting one-off advice from a bot, according to Anthropic. As mentioned above, Claude Tag will also learn the longer it’s in a channel, meaning users won’t have to explain things to it every time they chat with it. A Claude Tag based in one channel can also learn from other channels and data sources, provided that it’s given permission to do so. Beyond that, Claude Tag can also take initiative to “keep you updated about whatever it thinks you might need to know” across channels and tools it has access to, as long as ambient behavior is toggled on. Anthropic says that it’s also able to schedule tasks for itself in order to autonomously pursue its own assignments “over hours or days.” Anthropic’s announcement said that its employees have found that feature particularly helpful, as instead of doing their own work “we now spend much more of our time delegating tasks to many Claudes in parallel,” which is supposed to sound like a good thing. Act now; free credits running out and you'll need 'em Administrators of Slack environments using the old Claude for Slack app have 30 days to opt in to the Tag migration. That said, Anthropic is still keen on keeping those user numbers up, so it’s offering a hefty volume of credits to anyone on an Enterprise or Teams plan with more than 10 total seats as long as they migrate before the credits expire on September 1. According to a support page, Enterprise customers who add Tag to Slack will get $25,000 worth of credits, while Teams customers will get $2,500. Those credits are only applicable to Tag usage in Slack, but not for direct messages with Claude, which are billed to individual seats. AI token use has recently become a hot topic, especially since Anthropic did away with bundled usage pricing in favor of metered pricing that has surprised many customers with large bills. It's not clear how far those Tab credits will stretch, and Anthropic didn't respond to questions for this story. It's also worth nothing that using Tag means handing business data over to an AI model that lives on Anthropic’s servers, so caveat emptor to anyone adding this agent to channels where sensitive info may be discussed and ingested for contextual learning. Then again, Slack is shunting potentially sensitive business data into the cloud too, and it’s not always safe with the Salesforce subsidiary, either. ®

Aankomende woensdag en donderdag geldt niet alleen code oranje vanwege de verwachte hitte, het RIVM geeft ook een ‘smogwaarschuwing’ af voor deze dagen.

This project is a collection of analog illustrations born from mistakes, paint stains, and spontaneous creative exploration. Each character emerges from unexpected shapes and accidental marks, transforming randomness into unique visual narratives. The main goal of this exercise is to discover new possibilities for character design by embracing imperfection and experimentation. Through this process, a series of playful, eccentric, and unconventional characters were created, challenging traditional approaches to illustration. Adobe Photoshop was used to refine contours, adjust colors, and enhance the final presentation of each piece. The project combines the expressive nature of traditional analog techniques with the versatility of digital illustration, creating a bridge between both creative worlds.

on the water photography has added a photo to the pool:

• Forward expected to return from injury in Group C finale

• ‘His qualities are without question … he’s a superstar’

Steve Clarke believes Scotland must be prepared for the threat provided by the “icon” Neymar in Miami on Wednesday. Neymar is expected to make his bow for Brazil in this World Cup after returning from injury as Group C reaches its climax.

“His qualities are without question,” Scotland’s manager said. “He’s one of the superstars of the modern era. We can expect a very dangerous opponent but I could go on about Brazil and so many dangerous opponents. Neymar is just one of them; even coming from the bench he would give them a lift because he is such an icon.

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• Committee to study Lake Placid-NYC Games

• 2042 emerges as earliest realistic target

• State cites existing venues and IOC shift

The prospect of a Winter Olympics stretching from the Adirondacks to New York City has taken its first formal step toward reality as state leaders launched a year-long review into whether the two destinations could jointly host a future Games.

New York governor Kathy Hochul on Monday announced the formation of the Lake Placid-New York City Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games Exploratory Committee, a statewide group tasked with evaluating whether a future Winter Games built around existing venues and shared between the two locations could be delivered sustainably and responsibly.

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Four Republicans joined Democrats to back a measure seeking to limit the US president’s military authority

The US Senate approved a war powers resolution preventing Donald Trump from continuing hostilities against Iran, delivering the president a significant but symbolic rebuke over a conflict that has proven unpopular with the American public.

The resolution passed by a 50-48 vote, with four Republicans – Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Rand Paul of Kentucky – breaking with their party to support its adoption. John Fetterman, of Pennsylvania, was the sole Democrat to vote against the resolution.

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Thomas Hawk posted a photo:

Thomas Hawk posted a photo:

Gustav Mahler

Albert Einstein once said that “the most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science.” For Dr. Elliot McGucken, the sublime enigmas of nature form the basis of his explorations of landscape and light.

McGucken traverses North America’s most beautiful and striking terrain, including Death Valley where he captured a wildflower superbloom earlier this year. He revels in all kinds of natural phenomena, from the vicissitudes of the Rocky Mountains to brown bears fishing in Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve to the ghostly, flood-carved walls of Antelope Canyon. He also happens to be a physicist whose research focuses on an artificial retina prosthesis that can help restore sight to those who are blind.

Although photography and physics may seem at first blush to be a world apart, they intersect in many ways, especially through the use of advanced lenses that manipulate light to create images. In this way, McGucken channels a limitless fascination with perception and seeing in which scientific inquiry drives his photography as much as the aesthetic and technical qualities of the medium. He’s also really into Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity and quantum mechanics, and that’s where an ongoing series called Spacetime Light Cone Sculptures dx4/dt=ic comes in.

McGucken delves specifically into the study of the fourth dimension, drawing on Einstein’s 1922 book The Meaning of Relativity, in which the renowned scientist illustrated a “light cone” that represented “the deep, physical relationship between space, time, and the velocity of light,” McGucken says. This almost hourglass-like shape, with two cones that meet at their tips, forms the basis of Spacetime Light Cone Sculptures dx4/dt=ic.

McGucken describes the works as “sculptures upon nature’s exalted easel,” utilizing contemporary technology to illuminate theories of existence and the cosmos. He sends a drone into the air over dramatic and remote Southwest landscapes to capture long exposures of conical spirals of light. Over the years, he’s visited the Trona Pinnacles in the California Desert Conservation Area and the Mobius Arch rock formation in the Alabama Hills, among other places.

See more on the artist’s Instagram and purchase prints on his website. You might also enjoy Rueben Wu’s glowing light paintings.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Elliot McGucken Suspends Einstein’s ‘Light Cones’ Over Desert Expanses appeared first on Colossal.

Not surprising to KDO readers and I don’t really know who still needs to hear this in June 2026 but: the US is in the middle of a “rolling coup” by ultra-conservatives who are “well along the path of destroying our democracy”.

DEN HAAG (ANP) - De Tweede Kamer snapt niet goed waarom van tevoren al is vastgelegd hoeveel lokale omroepen er nog mogen overblijven na een hervorming. Dinsdagavond debatteert de Kamer over een wetswijziging die de lokale omroepen moet versterken. Onderdeel daarvan is dat het aantal lokale omroepen wordt teruggebracht van ruim tweehonderd lokale omroepen naar tachtig streekomroepen.

"Nederland groeit, gemeenten groeien en fuseren. Waarom zo'n harde grens?", zei Erik van der Maas (VVD). Ook Mohammed Mohandis (PRO) wees op die constante verandering en stelde dat alle flexibiliteit verdwijnt door een wettelijk getal vast te leggen. "Waarom tachtig? Waar komt het getal vandaan?", vroeg Martin Bosma (PVV) zich af. Caroline van der Plas (BBB) gaf aan dat ze "nog steeds geen overtuigend antwoord" had gehoord op de vraag waarom het er tachtig moeten worden en benadrukte dat het om een onomkeerbaar proces gaat.

Minister Rianne Letschert (OCW, D66) houdt vast aan tachtig en benadrukt dat het aantal vanuit de sector zelf komt. Wel kan ze zich vinden in een voorstel van Mohandis en Don Ceder (CU) om via een aanvulling op de wet te regelen dat elke tien jaar opnieuw kan worden gekeken naar de aantallen, zonder dat daar een wetswijziging voor nodig is.

Ook maken verschillende fracties zich zorgen over verlies van lokale binding als er minder lokale omroepen zijn. Onder meer Harmen Krul (CDA) vroeg zich af hoe ervoor wordt gezorgd dat er niet minder aandacht komt voor dorpskernen en kleinere gemeenten. Letschert benadrukte dat er harde eisen zitten aan de beleidsplannen van de lokale omroepen en dat ze moeten aantonen dat ze het volledige gebied bedienen.

NEW YORK (ANP) - De verkoopgolf in technologieaandelen hield dinsdag aan op Wall Street, gevoed door groeiende zorgen over de hoge waarderingen in de sector. Daarbij maken beleggers zich steeds meer zorgen of de enorme investeringen in AI wel terugverdiend kunnen worden. Ook zorgen over mogelijke renteverhogingen van de Amerikaanse centrale bank hangen boven de markten.

De technologiebeurs Nasdaq eindigde met een verlies van 2,2 procent op 25.587,04 punten. De Nasdaq leverde een dag eerder al 1,3 procent in. De S&P 500, de index van 500 grote beursgenoteerde ondernemingen, verloor dinsdag 1,4 procent op 7365,46 punten. De Dow-Jonesindex sloot met een klein verlies van 0,1 procent op 51.666,84 punten.

Volgens de Amerikaanse zakenbank Morgan Stanley nemen beleggers momenteel winst op aandelen die hebben geprofiteerd van de AI-rally.

DEN HAAG (ANP) - Minister Sjoerd Sjoerdsma (Buitenlandse Handel, D66) hekelt Amerikaanse voorstellen die ASML zouden dwingen zijn export naar China verder te beperken. "Exportcontrole werkt gewoon het beste als landen samenwerken uit overtuiging en niet als beleid over de grenzen wordt opgelegd", zei hij in een gesprek met media na overleg in Washington.

In het Congres ligt een conceptwetsvoorstel (Match Act) dat de export van chiptechnologie van partnerlanden naar China beperkt. Ook onderhoud wordt onmogelijk gemaakt. Als Washington hier niet met bondgenoten uitkomt, zullen de VS volgens het voorstel de bondgenoten uitvoerbeperkingen moeten opleggen.

"Waar wij ongelukkig van worden, is dat het wetsvoorstel lijkt te suggereren dat de Verenigde Staten dan maatregelen bij ons kunnen opleggen", zegt Sjoerdsma. "Dat zien wij niet zitten. Samenwerking over de grenzen moet op vrijwillige basis, maar onder dwang is dat heel moeilijk uit te leggen. Dit gaat ook over de kern van onze economie en ons verdienvermogen. Daar gaan we zelf over."

PARAMARIBO (ANP/RTR) - Het Maleisische staatsoliebedrijf Petronas heeft opnieuw een belangrijke olie- en gasvondst gedaan voor de kust van Suriname. Dat maakte de Surinaamse president Jennifer Simons dinsdag bekend tijdens een energieconferentie. De vondst werd gedaan in het zogeheten Blok 52 in het diepzeegebied, dat op ongeveer 125 kilometer van de kust ligt.

"Dit is echt goed nieuws voor ons", zei Simons, zonder verdere details te geven. Volgens haar legt de vondst de basis voor meerdere olie- en gasontwikkelingen en een veelbelovende toekomst voor Suriname.

De president sprak eerder de hoop uit dat Suriname in 2030 de gaswinning begint voor de kust van het land. Volgens haar kan het project de basis leggen om in de toekomst gas naar land te brengen, waarmee Suriname "een minder vervuilende energiebron" heeft, gaf ze eerder aan. Het land werkt nu nog veel met generatoren die werken op olie. Ook is het project goed voor economische groei.

WASHINGTON (ANP/RTR) - De Amerikaanse Senaat heeft wetgeving aangenomen om de Amerikaanse oorlog tegen Iran te stoppen totdat het Congres hier toestemming voor geeft. Het Huis van Afgevaardigden stemde eerder al voor het voorstel. Het is niet meteen duidelijk welke gevolgen de stemming heeft voor het conflict in het Midden-Oosten, aangezien de VS en Iran onderhandelen over een permanent vredesakkoord.

Ready for our June recap? We’ve got some exciting announcements from our awesome MODE Festival lineup to celebrating creatures (and oceans) big and small with our features on Pollinator Week and World Ocean Day. We’ve covered a lot of territory and we have even more fun on the way, like our official Black Women Photographers grant kick off. So tune in to this month’s recap and get up to speed on everything coming our way. Summer is in full effect!

Meet Your MODE Festival Lineup!

The MODE Festival music lineup has landed, and it’s arriving alongside a whirlwind of photographic talent you’ll be bragging about seeing for years. Let’s start with the headliners: Vince Staples, Tycho, and Minnesota’s own Cory Wong will headline consecutive nights of the festival at Loring Park, backed up by openers Infinity Song and Washed Out with BALTHVS playing our Creator’s Stage right in the center of the MODE: HUB. So are you in? This is a lineup up of talent you don’t want to miss. Get your passes today!

Spend Pollinator Week with your macro lens at the ready!

It’s Pollinator Week and we’ve joined the global celebration by featuring photography showing some of the planet’s hardest workers. Bees, butterflies, bats, hummingbirds and more, these creatures do far more than many people realize. From keeping food systems running to improving carbon storage, Pollinators deserve their moment in the spotlight. Visit the Flickr blog to learn more about the pollinators we are celebrating this week and how to get involved. 

World Ocean Day with Flickr Social

In honor of World Ocean Day we celebrated the oceans that cover 71% of our planet by featuring stunning member photos that capture their scale, beauty, and power. This year’s theme was Strong Marine Protected Areas for Our Blue Planet, a call to action, and the images from our Flickr Social group did a great job at inspiring both reflection and engagement. Check out the blog and also enjoy this curated gallery of ocean photography if you want to keep exploring.

Black Women Photographers’ Grant coming soon!

Since 2022, our partnership with Black Women Photographers has grown every year, bigger grants, more photographers getting visibility, more community. And this year will bring the biggest one yet! Read about our partnership and history with this amazing community of photographers and find out what we have planned for this years grant program, kicking off very soon!

That’s a wrap. See you next month!